Thousands of villages and towns remained cut off from power supply due to electricity employees' strike protesting bifurcation of the state.

The electricity employees strike has badly hit power supply to all major establishments and services including airports, railways, and hospitals and for supply of drinking water.

Power generation at Srisailama Right Canal Hydal Unit and Vijayawada, Rayalaseema and Simhadri Thermal Units was almost stopped suffering huge power losses.

Rail and air traffic beside emergencies like medical services have been badly hit due to lack of electricity. Tirupati and Vijayawada airports are running on backup power.

Despite severe hardships, people and state employees in Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions relentlessly continue their agitation protesting against the Union Cabinet's decision to bifurcate the state.

Attempting to mount pressure on the central leadership, four Union Ministers from Seemandhra region met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the national capital yesterday and requested him to accept their resignations over Telangana creation.

Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi, Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Commerce D. Purandeswari and Minister of State for Railways Surya Prakash Reddy met Dr. Singh and pressed for acceptance of their resignations.

"We, in detail, gave him (Prime Minister) a clear picture of the ground situation in Andhra (Pradesh). And, we have requested him to kindly accept our resignations, and we also told him that the people of Andhra Pradesh did expect the Antony Committee to come to the state of Andhra Pradesh but since the Antony Committee has not come, now the people are losing confidence that justice would be done to them," said Purandeswari.

The Prime Minister told them that he will look into their request.

On October 3, the Union Cabinet had decided to go ahead with the process for the creation of a separate Telangana state carved out from Andhra Pradesh. (ANI)